Look After Baby
by MsZola
Summary: New Experiences are supposed to be good but some things should be left untried. How will Damon cope with another living thing to look after? {AU / Inspiration from: the movie 'Marley & Me'}
1. Things are Changing

**I had a massive inspiration to write this, I was majorly excited!  
>I hope you enjoy, please review and stay tuned hopefully there's more to come!<strong>

**Chapter 1**

Since he told her, he loved her, things had been moving quickly, faster than he could have ever expected. It was nice. Finally, he got the girl. He was sick of Stefan getting everything. She was his and he didn't have to feel guilty about anything anymore.

Damon was being his unusual drinking self, contemplating on his girl, his Elena. He often spent his days thinking about her, he had nothing else to think about but that wasn't the point. He had waited so long fighting the temptation of having her and being selfish in doing so but now he relished in the fact that the feeling was mutual.

They hadn't officially labelled themselves as 'dating' but he didn't want to rush her, she was still getting over Stefan, well he hoped she was. All the crazy in Mystic Falls had settled and they could finally focus on just 'them'.

"Damon, I need to talk to you" Elena had firmness in her face as she headed towards the couch where he laid. He raised an eyebrow as he sat up, letting her sit next to him. It wasn't everyday that Elena Gilbert, ''needed to talk'' about something other than vampires wanting to kill everyone she loves. It had been a fun couple of months but he kind of missed all the hustle and bustle. It became a routine, sorting out Elena's problems but now he was finding it hard to break.

"I've been thinking, things have been getting serious between you and I and I thought, maybe we should take it too the next level" she said caressing his arm as she moved towards him.

His eyes widened seductively as a thought struck his mind. Is she suggesting what he thinks she is? He moved forward, taking her hand, waiting for her reaction, there was a pause as her face changed

"I think we should get a dog!" she lightened up as smiles sprung across her face

"Come again?" Damon was dumbfounded, wasn't quite what he had in mind. All his heard out of that was 'dog'. He wasn't one of dogs and well animals in general but if think was what she wanted, he would have to suck it up

"A dog! You know the adorable fluffy things that run around! C'mon Damon, a dog is just what we need! Please?" Her puppy brown eyes were making his heart reach out to her. He didn't want a dog, a smelly poo machine, he'd rather have a baby but how could he say no to that face. She was so cute

"Well, I guess we could, erm...why not!" he winked as she jumped on top of him, embracing him in a massive hug, on the plus side, he did like her hugs.

The idea of him getting an animal was bizarre to him. In all his life, he had never thought of getting a dog, nor did he have any experience with one.

He smiled disguising his true thoughts, what had he done?

_© Ms Zola, March, 2012_


	2. Replaced

**Thank you to everyone who has added this to their story alerts. It means a lot that you guys enjoyed my first chapter. Just for you, I have updated.  
>Please review, subscribe, whatever. Just thank you for your support! <strong>

**Chapter 2**

Elena dragged him to the pet shore before he even had a chance to blink. There was no way he was getting out of this one. It was between him and the dog. He knew exactly which one would win...the dog. No way could he compete with this adorable creature. He'd have to admit he was pretty adorable but in comparison, he didn't stand a chance!

From the outside it was a perfectly nice looking place, he'd even go as far as saying it look _sophisticated_, like the saying goes looks can be you can imagine, it stunk pretty bad and the thought of him having _that_ in his house everyday was sending him dizzy.

He spent the whole night hoping that she would want to take him back to hers, but somehow he must have missed the part where she decided to dump the mutt at his.

There were the ominous echoes of dogs barking as they tried to jump out of their colourful metal cages. Damon had no intention to let them out, he enjoyed watching as they suffered behind bars. It was obvious he didn't want a dog but there was no talking to Elena, the decision was final.

She was like a kid in a candy shop, running along looking at every single dog they had, playing with them. From puppies to fully grown dogs, from big to small, she had seen them all.

"Damon, look at this one! Ooh and this one! Isn't this one cute? Damon look!" she laughed pointing in every direction "Are you even listening?"

He was in a world of his own, everything was happening so fast and he wasn't sure whether he liked it. Yes, he loved Elena, Yes, he would do anything for her. But was this taking it too far?

He knew what would happen, he would end up looking after the thing and he didn't like the idea. The whole 'looking after' thing would be Elena's duty and he would make sure she did it; it was her idea after all.

* * *

><p>Before long they did eventually pick a dog out the many thousands. He had to admit it was cute with its golden fur and floppy ears, but what he liked the most was its big brown eyes, they were so similar to Elena's it was uncanny. Not that he was calling her a dog or anything.<p>

This dog was not going to get in the way of their relationship, if anything it was going to make it better. If not, he knew he was doomed. He had heard about cases like this on T.V, crime watch was it? well it probably wasn't but it could have been.

An innocent couple stupidly buys a dog, thinking that it was solve all their problems, little do they know, the dog has a mind of its own. It takes over. The couple don't stand a chance and before long, world domination... aka. The boyfriend is kicked out.

He shivered at the thought. Okay, maybe he was being slightly dramatic. But he had to cautious, ANYTHING could happen!

After buying majority of the stores stock, Damon was feeling the pinch. He wasn't exactly poor but he wasn't a billionaire either and this dog was costly more than he expected. He wasn't a stingy man, well he didn't think he was, but he was left pushing a shopping trolley full of clothes.

A dog doesn't wear clothes, it has nothing to hide. It was bizarre, he had little sailor outfits and shoes. What was the world coming to? Why can't she just be pregnant? He thought. He had seriously hoped, more like prayed that buying a dog would be severely cheaper than having a baby, how wrong he was. The look on Elena's face was worth it though, her face was glowing and it made him happy. If she was happy, he could maybe learn to cope.

It's not like the dog will really take over. Will it?

"Baby" he heard Elena called.

It made his heart tingle knowing how loving she was towards him. _Baby_ he could get to use that. He did love how affectionate she could be towards him, after all they had been through a lot, he enjoyed knowing that she would always love him, always

"Yes Elena?" he smiled with a glint in his eye

"I was talking to the dog"

"Oh" his face dropped, it had finally happened. He had been replaced...by a dog.

She was all over him, stroking his fur, kissing his face, it was sickening. Damon's face cringed with disgust. This was unbearable. To think, that later on he would be kissing her lips and just knowing where those lips had now been, he wanted to barf. How could the dog get all the attention, it's a dog, it's not a human being? Damon would not admit that he was jealous, that wasn't in his nature, especially being jealous over a mongrel. It just wasn't normal. He was not gonna let the dog win. He knew exactly what he had to do.

It was Damon vs. the Dog.

And the fight begins.

_© Ms Zola, March, 2012_


	3. Letting Loose

**I'd firstly like to thank 'TrueLoveAlwaysLP' for all her great ideas. They have given me such inspiration for this Chapter. If anyone else, have any ideas that could really help, please let me know! Secondly, Thanks to everyone who has added this story to their alerts, it's given me motivation to update. Please, continue supporting me, with your reviews, alerts...etc. It means a lot. Thank you! Enjoy (:**

**Chapter 3**

They brought the little dog home, he was full of excitement. He was now, blessed with the name 'Sam'. If it was up to Damon, he would have called him Dog for the rest of his life, but Elena insisted he had an identity. They had a variety of names from nearly all the letters of the alphabet, from Adam to Zac, they thought of them all.

Elena carried Sam in her arms while Damon tackled the bags, like a good little house husband. He struggled to find his house keys, as he juggled between searching bags and rummaging through his pockets. He could hear the dog panting in his ear as he started to get frustrated. Maybe Stefan was home? He reached for the doorbell, hoping that his brother would answer

Ring

Before long, Stefan opened the door, staring at his brother, like he didn't know who he was. Damon squinted as he watched as the blood veins started forming around Stefan's eyes, he could see his fangs starting to emerge. Was he seriously craving blood right now?

Stefan was going through his I-need-to-be-a-good-person stage, once again and he promised himself he wouldn't drink human blood. He was on his "bunny" diet, as Damon liked to put it. He found it all slightly pathetic now, Damon lived on a blood diet and he wasn't ripping the town apart, he didn't understand why Stefan couldn't be just like him. He needed _moderation. _One day they would be the kings of moderation, he thought with a smile

"Stefan?" he asked, wondering what exactly was wrong. Unless he had a sudden urge to bite Elena, he had no idea what he was craving. Then he realised what was wrong, he muffled a laugh. He had to admit, it was pretty funny. Stefan was craving the...dog

"Get that thing out of here" Stefan whispered, his heart was pounding fast, this was the first time he felt the urge to drink a dog. Normally, he was all for the wild animals but a common household dog was new for him. He tried not to breathe and take in that godly scent, he could almost see the blood pumping in its little body

"What's wrong brotha? First bunnies, now innocent dogs what _are_ we going to do with you?" He laughed, patting Stefan on the back as he walked past.

As soon as they were in the privacy of the living room, he pulled Elena into his arms. Kissing her gentling on the lips

"mm that was yummy" he said smiling as he kissed her again

"Oh you liked that did you?" Elena laughed. She loved being wrapped up in his strong arms. She could stay there forever. She thought, as she stared into his eyes, they reminded her of a crystal ocean; within minutes her thoughts were interrupted

"Damon. Elena. You might want to see this." They both looked in the direction of Stefan's voice as they parted from each other. He tucked a loose hair behind her ear, and walked hand in hand towards the voice

"This better be good, Stefan, cause we..." Damon broke off as he saw it. He could feel the blood rushing to his head. Elena had clasped her hands to her mouth as she looked at the extent of the mess

"That Damn Dog" he shouted, as his eyes followed a trail of pee that lead around the room like a train track. It was everywhere, all over the curtains, all over his leather couch. It didn't end there. He followed the trail as it wandered into the bedroom, all over his sheets. He put his hands on his head as he took it all in. He could kill that dog

"SAM" he shouted, with rage in his voice

"Damon, don't hurt him. He's only little" Elena came running into the room.

That was when, he murder the dog.

He came back into reality as he realised, Elena would probably kill him if he even laid a finger on her dog. The dog always wins, he thought shaking his head.

It had taken him hours to get rid of the stench. It was literally in every nook and cranny possible. He didn't even think a dog could hold that much water. Thankfully, he dragged Elena and Stefan into cleaning; he wasn't doing it on his own. Paired with rubber gloves and a basin full of soapy water, they had a fun afternoon. As he laid his head on his pillow at the end of the night, he thought that hopefully he wouldn't have to cope with any more mishaps thanks to Sam.

* * *

><p>"Sam" Elena called, as her little Labrador jumped up at her, wagging his tail behind him. He was adorable, she thought. Lifting him up into his arms she embraced as kiss and tickled behind his ear. She wasn't sure he actually recognised his name yet, but he seemed to appear when she called.<p>

"Damon?" she yelled "You home?" It had been an almost a two days since they had gotten Sam and Damon had been acting strange. He hadn't really bonded with Sam and she didn't know why. She loved him, so why didn't Damon? The only reason she even thought of getting a dog was to be closer to Damon, she thought this was the answer, obviously not. He didn't exactly _hate _Sam but he didn't exactly love him either.

She put Sam down, as she found Damon sitting on the bed

"I've been calling you" she looked at him as he rubbed his temples "is something wrong?"

"Do you know what _that _dog did?" looking down at the floor, he sighed, there was a pause before he continued "He chewed up, all the pillows, every single one." He could see Elena muffle a laugh, this wasn't funny. Why was she laughing? He paid a lot of money for those pillows, he could cope if it was just one but it was pretty much every single pillow he owned, bed pillows, couch pillows, chair pillow, you name it he chewed it. He only had to leave the house for an hour and that was what happened

"Damon, he's a puppy. He's still getting used to his new home, don't be too hard on him" she smiled, crouching down next to Sam "look at his little face, he didn't mean to, say sorry Daddy" He laid his eyes on Elena, then on the dog. He sighed.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it now. What's done is done. I'll just have to replace all the pillows" he stood up and walked towards her, lifting her to stand. He took her face in his hands

"I love you" he kissed her cheek

"I love you too"

Damon felt bad. He wasn't himself lately and he knew she felt it. It was that damn dog. It had to be, there was no other explanation. It was driving him mad, the pillows weren't the only thing it did, and this was minor compared to what it had been doing. He was shaking his head as he walked out the living room. He didn't want to be in the same room as that dog anymore. He couldn't bare another day. He just couldn't.

Elena sat there alone, on the bed Damon had sat only moments ago. She had Sam by her feet as she stroked his head. What just happened? She thought. Damon was sad but she didn't know why. Was it Sam? She had visited, almost every single day since they brought Sam home and it was fine. It was romantic, since then their love life had boosted remarkably and if she was being honest, she thought everything was perfect. They were both happy, this was what they wanted. She knew Sam could be a handful, he was a puppy, what did they expect. He needed discipline that was all, she hoped. She had to do something

Following the same path Damon took, Elena found him in the bathroom, washing his face. She was silent by the doorway, just watching him. He was deep in thought, looking at his reflection. What was he thinking? She thought

"Hey, just had a thought. Why don't I stay here for a while, just while Sam is getting used to place" she smiled warmly "It'll be better with both of us"

Damon looked over at her, she was so quiet he hadn't even realised she had been standing there until she spoke

"I'd like that" he dried his face and closed the gap between them. They were inches away from each other; he could practical feel her breath. He smiled with a wink "I'd like that _a lot"  
><em>

She reached up on the tip of her toes and kissed him softly.

"Why don't we go to dinner, tonight? Just you and me?" she asked, searching his face for answers.

"I know just the place"

_© Ms Zola, March, 2012_


	4. Goodbye Precious

**Thank you so much for everyone who has added this story to their alerts, or reviewed it. It's given me a lot of motivation to update.  
>Sorry it took so long but here it is, I hope you all enjoy!<strong>

**Chapter 4**

They sat down to dinner at the Grill, listening to the relaxing music playing in the background. Everything was perfect. She was perfect. They had gotten Stefan to _look after _the dog, Damon had his fingers crossed that his brother's cravings got the better of him, and bye bye Sam.

"This is romantic" smiled Elena as she pulled his hand into hers. He had the grey shirt on, which is liked the best on him. It showed his muscles off. She liked that.

"Yes, I thought you'd like it" he winked, stroking her hand "Are you hungry? I bet you are, the food should be here soon"

"No, it's fine. I'm embracing every minute I have with you" her smile reached her eyes, just the way he loved.

"You have years and years and years to spend every minute with me; I'm never letting you leave...ever, so suck it up. You're stuck to me"

"I'm glad" she giggled "I don't think I could ever let you go"

Damon smiled at that thought, even know his gut knew she loved him, it was reassuring to hear it from her. Elena wasn't good with expressing herself normally; he went through a stage, praying that he would develop the skill of mind reading, just so he knew what she was thinking. It was a painful experience, it was obvious he adored her, but she wouldn't let any of her emotions slip, it wasn't until the day when he had enough, he made the first move.

"Do you reckon Sam will be alright with Stefan?" she always bit her lip when she was nervous, he knew her well.

"Elena, it's a dog, not a baby, I'm sure Stefan can cope" he watched as he faced softened and the frown lines had slowly disappeared.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive"

He wasn't going to let this dog, effect his night. It would be the first night, Elena had officially stayed over and he wanted it to be perfect.

* * *

><p>Their food did eventually come, as they spoke about their future. Before long the night was over and Damon was helping Elena into the car. He laughed, she had about three glasses of wine and she was already tipsy. He forgot how humans can only tolerate little amounts of alcohol. Especially, his petite Elena, she couldn't tolerate much. It was funny, she could handle vampires but throw some wine at her and she hopeless. He had to admit she was hilarious when she was drunk<p>

"Damon, you smell like roses, no, daisies" she hiccupped as she reached out to stroke his face

"Aw thank you, Sweetheart" he smiled "You don't smell so bad yourself, a bit winey but it's good"

"Quick Batman, we need to get to the bat mobile" her hands were flying in all directions, distracting Damon as he drove "Quick before the alien gets us"

"Oh no, not the aliens. Elena, what _are _we going to do?"

"_Elena? _Who's that? I'm the incredible HULK" she tensed her arms, as he eyes started to close

"Oh, the HULK, I'm sorry. What have you done with my Elena?" he was finding this all very amusing, he thought, he shouldn't encourage her but the chances were she wasn't going to remember this in the morning, so he was going to make the most of it.

"What are you talking about? I'm Elena, Silly" she was laughing hysterically again, talk about split personalities, he couldn't keep up. By the time, he had reached home, she had fallen asleep. He had hoped, she would have performed a lot more, but sadly no. He made a mental note, get Elena _tipsy _more often.

He opened her door, lifting her in his arms. She stirred a little, groaning as he walked.

"Where are you taking me? Damon, will be worried! Tell him where I am" she wriggled; trying to escape "Tell him I love him" he smiled

"Of course I will Sweetie, of course"

He placed her on his bed, taking off her shoes and tucking her in. However much he wanted to get her comfortable in pyjamas, he respected her, and she wouldn'tappreciate him striping her. He knew her well.

The house was surprisingly quite considering he had an animal eating vampire babysitting a dog. He had expected more of a disastrous consequence when he got home but the place was spotless. If he didn't know better, he would think Stefan trained the dog to clean. Closing the door behind him, he went to investigate.

"Stefan? Sam? You guys still alive?" he made him laugh thinking about all the things they could have done whilst they were out. He peeped into the living room but still there was no sign of them

"Stefan!" he shouted now as he started to worry

"Yes?" he sighed with relief with hearing his brother's voice. He couldn't help laugh when he saw him, his clothes were ripped and his hair had bits of feathers floating around it. He looked shattered.

"What happened to you? You didn't eat the dog, did you brotha?" he muffled another chuckle

"No...The dam dog thought I wanted to play with it and -"he sighed "this happened" motioning his hand at his appearance

"How long have you guys been _playing?"_

"Ever since you guys left me here" Stefan frowned as he watched Damon's face spread with amusement

"I don't know why you're laughing, you haven't seen what it's done" Damon's face dropped as he remembered the feathers in Stefan's hair

"What has it done?"

"Follow me brotha"

* * *

><p>Sam was nowhere to be seen, the clever thing ran for the hills. Guilty at the mess he made probably. Damon watched as Stefan's face began to glow, in satisfaction as Damon laid eyes on his couch. He's beautiful leather couch. Ripped to smithereens! He had paid a fortune for that antique almost centuries ago, there was no way he could replace it. It was unique...It was his baby. His eyes stared at the shreds of leather, flung around the room.<p>

Damon bent down, picking up a strand of black at his feet. Stroking the remains of his leather couch, he stood motionless. Would this dog never quit?

As if on cue, Sam came running in pouncing on Damon, almost knocking him to the ground. If he wasn't so upset, the dog would be the one on the ground. He had to admit, Sam had gotten bigger, even within the few days they had him. He was a Lab, he was already a big dog but recently he was bigger. It was probably all that shredding exercise, Damon winced at the thought.

"I'll let you have a few minutes alone with your...couch" Chuckled Stefan as he left to room, tugging feathers out his hair.

"If you didn't mean so much to Elena, you would be hanging on my wall by now" clenched Damon, staring down at his puppy dog eyes. He knew was wrong, he sat quietly by Damon's feet, looking at him.

"Don't look at me like that!" he couldn't resist the eyes "one wrong step and your mince meat" he warned, but he couldn't be serious for long, as his crouched down and stroked behind his ear.

"If wasn't entirely your fault...I guess, you need discipline, that's all" he smiled, he was a sweet dog really "Starting tomorrow, you're going to doggy boot camp" Sam jumped up at his, licking Damon's face with a big doggy style kiss. Damon cringed. Dog germs, lovely, he thought.

He threw his beautiful couch in the spare room, and since Sam had such a bond to it, he could have it. Damon chucked a few toys and blankets around the couch to make it more homely, and in a blink of an eye, Sam had settled down inside the couch.

Damon could see as his eyes stared to become heavy and close, it was endearing, he could see why Elena liked the little guy. He yawned, watching Sam sleep had made him sleepy.

Walking to his room, he saw Elena sound asleep, she was cute when she was sleeping, and he could hear her faint little snores. He pulled off his shirt and changed into some comfy boxers before settling by her side. Stroking her hair, he bent down and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, before falling asleep himself. He was left happily dreaming, knowing that his Elena was sleeping next to him.

_© Ms Zola, March, 2012_


	5. Discipline

_**What is this? Another Chapter, so soon! Aren't you guys lucky!  
>I felt bad that it took me so long to update the last chapter, that I couldn't help myself. Enjoy!<strong>_

_**Chapter 5**_

Damon awoke to kisses. It was the way he liked to get up, next to his loving girl, smothering him in sweet kisses

"Someone's happy today" he smiled, as he tried to reach for her, to bring her close to him. His eyes were closed as she continued kissing him.

"Elena" he chuckled "give me room to breathe" he could hear her giggling from the distance, as he tried to grab her, he found handfuls of fur. He's eyes shot opened as he realised who he was kissing

"Sam, Get off me!" he shouted, almost leaping out the bed. Sam scurried off towards Elena who was leaning on the doorway

"You could have told me!" Damon glared at her, as she tried to contain her amusement

"I didn't want to ruin your _moment _ with your new lover_" _with his vampire speed, he ran and grabbed her in his arms before landing her on the bed, embraced in tickles

"Damon, stop!" she giggled, as tried to fight him off

"Never!" He laughed as he started to slow down. He lay hovering above her, staring into her eyes.

"Never will a _dog _replace you my dear" he smiled, kissing her forehead

"It better not, or I shall have to have words"

"I love you, Elena Gilbert" he said before bending down so their lips met

"I love you, Damon Salvatore" she smiled under his kiss.

"You better, or _this_ could be totally inappropriate" Damon kissed the arch of her neck; he felt her shiver as he reached her collar bone. They could hear a mild cough in the background

"Sorry, to disturb..._whatever _this is but we have a dog problem" smiled Stefan from the doorway

"What? Again?" snorted Damon over his shoulder "Can't you deal with it? I'm _busy" _he smiled down at Elena as she looked up at him

"Well, I could but I really don't want to"

Damon sighed as he rolled his eyes, getting up to investigate what Sam had done this time. He took a large breath, preparing himself for the worse, maybe the house was on fire? Maybe, Sam had chewed every piece of furniture he owned? Maybe...

"What in the –"he gasped, as he saw a perfectly clean house, everything was in his place, _everything _was exactly where he left it the night before.

"Did you-"

"...clean...no, it was like this when I got up" Damon eyes scanned every inch of his house, there had to be a catch...there just _had _to be. But nothing, Sam had...behaved

"Then what's the _issue?" _

"Over there" Stefan's head motioned to the patio door.

There sat Sam staring out of the window. His tail wasn't wagging, his tongue wasn't out. Was something wrong? Stefan watched as his brother frowned, trying to think things through

"He was fine this morning, than about ten minutes ago, he just sat there and didn't move"

"Do you think he's...ill?" Damon said, walking over to Sam to stroke his warm little head. It wasn't a secret that he knew nothing about dogs, it was all still a learning curve for him. There was something clearly wrong with Sam and he just couldn't figure it out

"I doubt it, he was fine earlier" A thought hit him, maybe, just maybe. Damon stood up and opened the door, as Sam rushed out to the nearest tree and...

"Pee...He needed to pee" he laughed as they both stared at each other. It was the simplest thing; it wasn't even rocket science, why didn't they think of it before? Damon was surprised, Sam didn't pee all over the furniture like last time, and he waited, so he could be left outside.

He chuckled, good job they figured out soon, otherwise the poor thing would be holding on for a while, he thought. Before long, Sam came trotting back into the house, as happy as can be

"That's better isn't it pup" Sam jumped up Damon's legs as in response, maybe discipline won't be as hard as he thought. Maybe Sam had some training before they bought him, he thought. How else would he know to pee outside? He winced_, _remembering the day Sam peed _everywhere_. Maybe he's just really clever for his age.

What was his age? Damon thought hard, he remembered Elena telling him this...

"Five months" he whispered, that was it. He looked across the room as Sam made his way towards his room. It wasn't so bad having a dog, he thought. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

><p>"How to train your dog" Damon read "This sounds like a piece of cake" he scoffed looking over at Elena as she stood there with a box of dog treats.<p>

"I wouldn't be so sure" smiled Elena as she watched as Sam stared longingly at the treats

"Step one, Sit in front of your dog" Damon frowned as he made his way to the floor "Step two, hold a treat in your hand"

"Step three, say your dog's name and tell it to sit" he continued as he smirked, this seemed so simple, he didn't understand how people spent ages trying to figure this out. It was easy

"Okay Sam...Sit" he smiled at Elena, and then his eyes focused back on the dog. Sam stood there wagging his tail, eyes fixated on his.

"Sit..." Sam's tongue popped back into his mouth as he sniffed and walked off. Damon brow furrowed as his eyes followed Sam walk out the room. He could hear Elena giggling; he swore he could even hear her say _I told you so.  
><em>

He wasn't going to let this defeat him, he was going to make the dog sit, if it was the last thing he did. Moments later, he dragged Sam back into the room. Take two, he thought. He shut the door, in an attempt to stop Sam from making an escape again.

"Sam...Sit" he said again, this time Elena tapped Sam's bum, as he sat down patiently.

"Good boy" she said, handing him a treat

"See, I told it was easy" scoffed Damon as she rolled her eyes "Step four, repeat this step until your dog understands the command" before he had a chance to gloat, Sam jumped up at Damon, knocking him on his back and licking his face. He smelt the treat in his hand, as Sam scurried over trying to lick the treat out

"Sit...Sit...SIT" shouted Damon as Sam continued licking his hand. By this point, Stefan had joined the chorus of laughter as he watched his brother get battered by a puppy.

"Want some help, brotha?" Stefan smiled, taking the opportunity to mock him

"Easy...did you say?" Elena joined in as they both celebrated with a high five. Damon made his way to his feet, wiping his face on the back of his sleeve. He sighed; this was going to be a long day. He could have called the dog every name in the book, but unfortunately Elena had told him that praise helps with training. He ignored their laughs and sniggers; he was determined to train Sam.

Elena had told him he was stubborn, he would deny it but the truth was he was. He was not going to be defeated

"Step One" he repeated before he reverted back to his original position on the floor.

Fifteen minutes later, Sam had appeared to learn _Sit. _Damon was proud, like a proud father. It had taken a while...a long while and he was convinced that he was going to get sick of the word sit, he said it so many times and it still didn't seem to make any difference. He had almost given up. But something clicked and just like that Sam sat...on cue

"Sit" Damon sat proudly as his little student, sat before him wagging his tail. Elena smiled as she rubbed his shoulder.

"Well Done, baby" she smiled, she had a funny afternoon watching Damon struggle to get Sam to do...well _anything_. Sam had him wrapped round his little finger...paw.

She had laughed at the way Damon ran round the room, chasing the little dog, trying to get him to give back his jumper or his pillow or his shoe. Anything Sam could get hold of, he grabbed and ran for the hills. She had to admit, Damon was putting a lot of effort into Sam, she enjoyed watching them bond. It was a grave improvement than when they first got him, they were so distant and now they were best friends...well almost

"What's next?" she chirped enthusiastically as she watched Damon's face drop "He needs to learn more than just sit"

"Oh...can't you teach him?"

"You were so good with him, I think it'd be best if you –"

"I know, I know. I'll start tomorrow"

"Thank you" she smiled as she walked off. Damon slumped down in his chair as he began to rub his head. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft whining at his feet; he looked down and saw Sam. What did he want now? Damon stared down at his watch

"8 O' Clock" there was something about that number, he was meant to do something, he stared back down at Sam. OH. He gasped jumping out of his chair, rushing towards the kitchen.

"I completely forgot" Damon placed down Sam's food, before Sam started gobbling away. He felt bad, they had got into a routine with Sam and his food routine, it was twice a day. He smiled; even Sam knew the routine better than him. If he was a dog, he was sure he would remember when he was fed as well.

He watched as Sam happily ate, he thought about time and imagined as it passed, it felt like months had flown by, the same routine day in day out. What will the future bring? He thought as he continued staring down at the little thing that had done its job and made them a family

"Thank you, Sam"

_© Ms Zola, March, 2012_


	6. Run Sam Run

**Chapter 6**

[5 months later]

Elena awoke to faint music coming from the kitchen, was it singing? She laughed, was Damon...singing? She pushed back the covers as she started to head out the bedroom. It was chilly this early in the morning and her pyjama shorts left her legs feeling the cold. She listened more carefully as she started to hear

**"**Girls, Girls, Girls, I just can't say no" was that a Conor Maynard song? She muffled a laugh, since when was Damon into this kind of music. She sneaked into the kitchen and stared at a dancing Damon. His hips were swinging and he was doing his famous little dance. Sam was running around his feet, staring up at him in awe. If she had a video camera on her she would have recorded this precious moment.

Damon continued singing in perfect pitch as he flipped pancakes and poured orange juice

"ahem" Elena coughed, trying to get his attention. Sam came running over to her as he jumped up trying to get into her arms.

"Hi, Baabby!" she said to him in her childish voice, as she affectionately held his face in her hands. She peered up at Damon, who had now stood still.

"How long have you been standing there?" his face was stern now, his eyes wide.

"Long enough"

"How much did you..._see_?" Damon had his fingers crossed, how much _did _she see?

"Well, I know that you _can't say no to girls_" she had a sparkle in her eyes as she watched as his face turned into a smile

"I didn't want you to see that!" he tried to hide his embarrassment "But I made you breakfast"

Damon laughed as he walked over to her, embracing her with a kiss. She smiled under his touch as her stomach stared to rumble

"Breakfast sounds good...ooo...pancakes!" Elena giggled in excitement as she ran over to the stove, she did love pancakes and she was surprised that he remembered. Her eyes caught a familiar can on the counter as he eyes widened

"Whipped cream as well...oh Mr. Salvatore, you do spoil me"

"Anything for my Elena" he winked, as he laid out the pancakes on a plate and smothered it in whipped cream. Even Sam was sitting patiently, eager for a taste.

"No Sam" he smiled "this is not for you...this is for your mummy" he winked as he passed her the pile of pancakes.

She took several big bites, savoury every one before she eventually finished her breakfast. Damon just sat watching her eat, she was so cute, he thought. He reached out and wiped an escaped bit of whipped cream at the corner of her mouth, before licking it off his finger. She smiled as she looked down at Sam

"Wow" she gasped "Sam's grown, he's almost reaching the counter" Damon as he saw what she did, he remembered the time when little Sam was no bigger than a basketball. He laughed, since then they had taught him _discipline, _it was a lot easier without his brother mocking his every move.

Stefan had run off with his girlfriend and they hadn't seen him in months, not that he was complaining, his brother was a pain and frankly, it was nice to get him out of his hair.

"Sam, Paw" Elena smiled as her little Lab put his paw in her hand as she gave him his bowl of meaty goods. His tail was wagging as he ate his breakfast

"Good Boy!" chirped Damon "Hey how about we take a ride?"

"A ride? To where, ooo, How about the lake house"

"Elena I said a _ride_, not a vacation" he smiled "I thinking more of a ride through the countryside"

"It'll be Sam's first ride; you'd think he'll be alright?"

"Yes, he'll be fine"

* * *

><p>"Sam! Get Back Inside!" shouted Elena from the back seat; she had half grabbed him as he tried to leap out after another barking dog<p>

"Elena, get him back in...I can't stop driving; we're in the middle of the road"

"Damon... I appreciate that, but what do you think I've been doing for the last five minutes... I'm trying" she blew a piece of hair out her eye, as she continued trying to pull a barking dog back through the window. He was practically hanging out the window, if she wasn't holding his back legs, Sam would have run

"C'mon, Sam" she sighed "Damon, you're gonna have to stop and help me!" As she looked over at him, she lost her grip and Sam had run

"I'll try and stop...Oh was he chasing that Labrador in fro –"his eyes widened "Is that Sam?" Elena was quiet, she wasn't going to admit that she was the reason that Sam was now running down the road, after a cyclist

"Sam! No Sam...Don't Bit...never mind" Shouted Elena out the window "Sorry Mister!" she was answered with shouts and swears as they followed their dog down the road. Before long they were stuck in a traffic jam, as they watching Sam continued running after the cyclist

"Elena, you're gonna have to run after him"

"...Can't you?"

"Well I'm kind of...busy" he smiled, motioning to the steering wheel. Elena sighed as she grabbed her phone and started running after Sam.

"Sam! SAM!" she shouted, as she ran as fast as she could. After almost fifteen minutes, Elena was out of breath. Sam was still ahead of her, he was now barking up a tree at a cat. She sighed as she started jogging towards him. As soon as he saw her, Sam just stared at her

"Sam, Stay...Stay..." His face began to look in the opposite direction, at a man walking his dog. Elena knew that face; she knew what he was going to do "No Sam...Don't go –"she watched as he ran away...again

Ring

Ring

"Hey"

"Any luck? Have you got him yet?" She was relieved to hear his voice, Damon's reassuring calming voice. Where was he when she needed him?

"Well...yes and no, I can still see him if that helps?" she was still recovering from her run. Elena found a nearby bench and sat down.

"Okay, I'll come and get you. Where are you?" She had no idea where she was now; she was surrounded by a little park and shops. Their plan to visit the countryside was a massive fail, they barely drove five miles before a little Yorkshire terrier caught Sam's eye.

"Erm...I'm by a town somewhere"

"Not helpful, Elena. Any Signs or shops, I can look out for?"

"Ben & Jerry's...there's a store right by the main road"

"I'm be there as soon as I can" before she could say anything else, the phone was dead and she couldn't hear Damon's voice any longer. She sat staring at Sam across the road. He was now sitting staring at a man holding an ice-cream. Elena rolled her eyes; she knew as soon as she headed towards him, he would run again. So just sat, watching him

"Sam!" she shouted, his ears perked up as he found where the voice was coming from

"Sam, Come here boy!" Elena patted her knees, in hope that he would come to her. He looked at her, then back at the ice –cream and if by some miracle, he trotted over to where she sat. She smiled, stroking his messy fur, _silly dog _she thought as he put his face in her hand

"What did you expect? The man wasn't going to give you the ice-cream" she laughed, his ears dropped in response to her. It was like he could understand what she was saying.

"Never mind, Sam, if you promise not to run off anymore today, I might treat you to a doggie treat, how about that?" she smiled down at him, as his little brown eyes looked up. His ears perked as he heard a familiar voice

"Elena!" she turned to find Damon walking towards her, his eyes landed on Sam as he squinted, Sam turned away knowing that he was in the wrong. He leant down and kissed her cheek

"Maybe now, our day out will go to plan" he laughed as he hooked the lead to Sam's collar "You looked knackered"

"If you spent fifteen minutes running after a dog, I think you would be knackered too"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. How will I make it up to you?" there was a sparkle to his eye, as he took a sit next to her.

"Well...I think we need to get Sam a chip"

"A chip? Why are you feeding him after what he's done?"

Elena laughed "Not a chip, Damon...a microchip so we know where he is, if he runs off"

"That's what I meant"

"Sure it was, dear" she smirked "He's not going to like it...so have fun"

"Fine but first" he scooped Elena into his arms "We're going for a picnic"

_© Ms Zola, April, 2012_


	7. Close Encounter

**Chapter 7**

"This is perfect" Elena smiled as she sat under a shady tree, she could see Sam running around after a butterfly and opposite her, was her love. She stroked the check wool blanket underneath her as she traced the patterns with her fingers. This was truly perfect; it has been a while since the couple did anything slightly romantic. Since they had brought Sam they had been through a lot with him, he was no doubt a handful but they loved him all the same. He was getting better...sort of

"Indeed it is" chirped Damon leaning in for a kiss "I brought sandwiches" he smiled as Elena's face lit up. It was as though Sam, heard _sandwiches_, he came running over to them as he jumped up on Elena pushing her over and licking the contours of her face

"Sam!" she giggled, nothing could ruin this moment, as Damon tried to past her a tuna sandwich, Sam grabbed it out of his hand, running away with it gripped firmly in his mouth.

"Come back here!" Damon shouted as Elena motioned for him to have her sandwich, he smiled back at her apologetically as he passed her another one. He shook his head at Sam as he watched he devour the little sandwich. He certainly did like his food, although Damon wasn't completely sure whether sandwiches were good for him, but it was a one off, it can't be too bad, he smiled, Sam was enjoying it nevertheless

"He sure is cute" Elena grinned as she munched on her sandwich "he must pick up your charms" she smiled at Damon, who at this point winked proudly back at her

"Well I'm charming, prince charming" he laughed at his clever pun as Elena tapped his arm "Am I not your prince charming?" he raised a brow at her as her cheeks started to colour

"Of course you are, your my knight in shining armour, coming to save me, always coming to save your princess" she was radiant, he thought, she could not have looked more beautiful if she tried, the sun was bouncing off her skin and her smiling was lighting up his soul

"You will always be my princess, no matter what" Damon took her hand in his as his thumb stroked hers "Do you why?"

"Why, my brave knight?"

"Because you will always be mine, that's why"

"Oh" her eyes were warm as she looked into his "well that's unfortunate" she nodded as she watched his face drop

"Unfortunate?" his brow furrowed

"It is unfortunate because I'd rather be yours forever" Elena giggled as her eyes sparkled in the sunlight

"Thank God" he smiled laying her head in his lap and stroking her hair, his eyes drifting to find Sam, where had he wondered off too. All he could see was the leftover scraps from his tuna sandwich but no Sam

"Sam!" He sighed; trust Sam to wonder off again probably chasing another dog. Damon frowned, that's strange. Normally Sam came when he heard his name

"Sam?" he called again, slightly louder this time. Maybe he didn't hear him. Damon looked down at Elena, her eyes were closed. Was she asleep?

"Elena..." he whispered as he kissed her forehead, she stirred but her eyes didn't open. He carefully, lifted her off his lap and laid her head on the blanket. He needed to find Sam, he was worried now. Damon's eyes darted, exploring every corner of the park, in the distance he could see a golden coloured lump lying under a distant tree, his eyes zoned into the figure, Sam? He thought. He sped over to the tree and found Sam coughing; his eyes were closed as he struggled to overcome his choking.

"What's wrong boy?" Damon's eyes narrowed, stroking Sam's stomach following the rise and fall of his breaths, within minutes, the breathing stop, Damon's heart raced

"SAM!" he shouted, slightly shaking his furry friend, he didn't know what to do. Sam wasn't breathing, what was wrong? He lifted the lifeless dog in his arms and raced over to Elena, who was now awake staring at the sky

"I need to take Sam to the Vet, he's stopped breathing" there was a panic in his voice, and Elena's eyes widened as she sat up

"Go! I'll take care of things here" she smiled, as Damon nodded at her getting Sam in the car and starting the engine.

As he drove, Damon's mind wandered. He used to hate Sam, he remembered it like it was yesterday, the times when he wanted him dead but when the time actually came around that Sam may actually be dying, Damon's heart fell. He didn't want him to die, he was his friend; he shared a bond with Sam and if he went it would be like a piece of him was missing. He peered over his shoulder as Sam lay on the backseat motionless, his eyes closed, if no one knew anything, he looked like he was sleeping, he was peaceful. Damon had to get to the Vet soon; not breathing for this long couldn't be good. Please don't die, Damon sent a silent prayer, Help me.

* * *

><p>"How is he?" Damon urged as the veterinarian appeared through the doorway<p>

"He'll be fine" smiled the young blonde woman "He had an allergic reaction to tuna and the inflammation blocked his airways. Although,don't worry it's nothing life threatening, just don't feed him tuna"

"Thank you so much, Miss" grinned Damon giving his famous seductive smile, the lady blushed as she was affected by his flattery

"Lucky you got him in on time, any longer and you would have lost him" she was writing something on her notepad as she spoke, her eyes caught Damon's as she blushed once more under his glare "but erm...we will keep him under observations tonight, just to make sure that he is alright. You can pick him up tomorrow" Damon didn't like the idea of Sam staying the night away; he wanted him to be at home with them. He felt like it was his fault as he gave him the tuna sandwich unaware that he was allergic to it. Damon looked deep into the girls eyes, and sternly said

"You will let Sam come home now" he smiled as the girl replied

"Sam can go home now, I'll go get him"

"Thank you once again" Damon winked as the girl turned away from him. He was there waiting for a moment, he did a full turn of the room. It reminded him a bit of a hospital, a hospital for animals. There were pictures of animals all over the walls and even though it was very colourful, it felt very sterile and Damon didn't like it

"Hey Boy!" Damon grinned as Sam embraced him as he hugged him; his little brown eyes glared back into his

"You're better now, you have me worried there. Let's go home" he attached Sam's lead to his collar and dragged him out of the place. Damon smirked as he somehow managed to get free treatment. He had compelled the receptionist to do it for free as it was an _emergency_. It was times like this that Damon enjoyed being a vampire.

Elena had been worried sick, she had fell asleep in Damon's lap and the next thing she knew she was alone, no Damon, no Sam. She was worried, she feared the worse. Frankly she thought, Klaus was up to no good again and kidnapped Damon but luckily she soon figured that wasn't the case. Although, her heart fell as she saw Damon carrying Sam in his arms, he was limp, the poor dog was lifeless and she had thought that he was dead for sure, but she hoped he wasn't.

After Damon left, she managed to gathered up everything, then realising she had no way of getting back home. She walked for almost two hours before even drawing close to their...well Damon's home. She checked her phone every second waiting for news, she couldn't wait anymore she had to know what was going on. What was it was the Salvatore's and keeping everything a secret, she thought.

Bar-ing

Bar-ing

"Hello" spoke Damon enthusiastically

"Is my little Sammy alright?"

"He is fine as a fiddle, he's coming home"

"Thank Goodness" Damon could hear the relief in her voice

"I can't wait to see you, both"

"See you in a bit" smiled Damon as he hung up

* * *

><p>"SAM!" she called as they ran through the door "I'm so glad you're alright" she smiled kissing his face as she wiped away escaping tears from her eyes<p>

"Elena? Why are you crying? He's alright" Damon was at her side, with his arm around her shoulder

"I know, I'm happy, they're happy tears. I'm just so glad everything alright, that _he's _okay" she smiled, lying her head on his shoulder "I'm glad" she repeated

"I don't know what I would've done if something happened to him" Damon looked down at the little bundle of joy at his feet

"I would have been distraught" they both sat down on their new leather couch

"I never want to be apart from you and Sam" Elena smiled, then an idea occurred to her "Why don't I move in, permanently?" Damon's eyes widened, that was all he ever wanted, that was the best thing he had heard all day. Elena had been staying with him for the last few months but all her stuff was stuff at her house and she had to keep driving up and down to get her belongings

"That would be amazing" he smiled as he kissed her cheek "what's brought this on?" "Well, just after what happened today, thinking what if, I'm sick of what if, I want to live with risks, I couldn't imagine not being with you and not being with Sam. The thought of losing either one of you makes my heart hurt and I'm making a commitment. We're ready" she smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist

"I agree" Damon got up grabbing two wine glasses and pouring his best wine into each equally "Here's to the future" he smiled raising his glass as Elena did the same. They knocked glasses and sipped at the same time. Sam jumped onto their laps, nearly knocking over the glasses. Damon smiled as he stroked Sam's fur and laid his other arm around Elena's back. He sat there is pure bliss, enjoying and embracing the very perfect moment

"This is it" he smiled

"This is our family"

The End

* * *

><p><strong>Every Story has it's end. I hope you've enjoyed my little TVD journey and please review, as I love to hear what you guys thought. Thanks for the support so far, I'm sure there will be more TVD fanfics to come, so stay tune. If you're into New Girl, check out some of my fanfics for them; 'Two Words' &amp; 'I Dare You' (:<strong>

_© Ms Zola, April 2012_


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